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Subject: gardenwriters-on-gardening
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- From: "Lorraine Ballato" <ladygardener@msn.com>
- To: "gardenwriters-on-gardening" <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????
- Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 06:23:59 -0400
Jeff,
I'm usually a "lurker" on this list, but I must come out on this one.
Yes, I garden organically but only came to it about 5 years ago.
That's a very long story. Nonetheless, I am here and to stay. It's
the mantra I chant throughout my writing and in my work as an Advanced Master
Gardener, speaker, etc. I also work at a big name CT retail nursery/mail
order business and have been working them over to stock low-
and/or non-toxic products vs. chemicals for garden treatments. That
seems to be going over pretty well as more products have come onto the
market and customers seem much more interested in that approach (they are a bit
more affluent than the normal garden center crowd).
We (Master Gardeners) do a free outdoor garden fair for Fairfield
County (CT) and last year I put together a booth on Low Toxic approaches that
was swarmed by the general public throughout the fair, despite half a dozen
presentations, over 2 dozen other booths, and several demonstrations (lots to
see and do on a hot August afternoon). All our handouts were scoffed (sp?)
up, questions and follow-up conversations were spirited, and feedback sheets
indicated high interest in this subject. It led to my
delivering a two hour Advanced Master Gardener class on Low Toxic
Approaches to Home Gardening and several other requests for associated
activities on the subject which I'm all too glad to do. We're doing the
fair again this August and the Low Toxic Booth has been expanded in size and
staffing to handle the anticipated interest.
I haven't seen/been aware of a difference in age on this. But I do
see a gender based difference (this should heat up this discussion). When
it comes to lawns, that's an area dominated by men. I base this on the
fact that 99% of the questions and conversations are with mostly
middle-aged men. As a group, they are absolutely intransigent in using
anything that won't deliver the best, greenest, most fabulous looking lawn in
the neighborhood. I think it's a test of manhood somehow in the American psyche
(anyone care to comment?). Since most of the organics for whatever reason
have historically been perceived to fall short on this (I don't believe this to
be true -- notice, I've used the word "perceived"), they give me the "yes" look
and a little nod (I recognize it since it looks a lot like one of
my husband's favorite expressions) and I know they won't do anything but
use you-know-who's 4-step program, etc. My personal mission is to
convince all those lawn lovers in my small CT town that they can have a fabulous
green lush healthy lawn without the chemicals so I've dedicated this season and
however many it will take me to get my front lawn in shape as a "demonstration"
to convince them and my town supervisor of this. Maybe then we can get the
chemical ban that already exists for elementary schools grounds to apply to
other public areas and maybe even lawns (we're all on wells so we all suffer
when those little signs that should have skulls and crossbones on them appear
curbside).
Lorraine
Lorraine Ballato
16 Mudry Farm Rd Brookfield CT 06804 (203)740-8636
|
-
[gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????,
Jeff Lowenfels, 06/26/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????, Sandie Parrott, 06/26/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????, Doreen Howard, 06/26/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????, Nancy Szerlag, 06/27/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????, N Sterman, 06/27/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????, jo ellen meyers sharp, 06/27/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????, Gene Bush, 06/27/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????,
Dan Clost, 06/27/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????, Jeff Lowenfels, 06/27/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????,
Lorraine Ballato, 06/28/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future????? - organic lawns, gardenlit, 06/28/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????,
Miranda Smith, 06/28/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????,
Nancy Szerlag, 06/28/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????,
Doug Green, 06/28/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic growing list of resources,
gardenlit, 06/28/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic growing list of resources,
Jeff Lowenfels, 06/28/2007
- [gwl-g] Currant problem, Carol Matthews, 06/29/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Currant problem, Tom Ogren, 06/29/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Currant problem, Carol Matthews, 06/30/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic growing list of resources,
Jeff Lowenfels, 06/28/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic growing list of resources,
gardenlit, 06/28/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????,
Doug Green, 06/28/2007
-
Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????,
Nancy Szerlag, 06/28/2007
- Re: [gwl-g] Organic or chemical future?????, Scott Vlaun, 06/28/2007
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